Stamp-affixing machine.



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Unirnn STATES PATENT FFICE.

JOHN T. VELKE, OF-MlLl/VAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

STAM P-AFFIXING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 716,969, dated December30, 1902.

Application filed February 17,1902. Serial No. 94,366. (No model.)

To all wiz/0771, t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN T. WELKE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Milwaukee, county of Milwaukee, and State of Wiscousin, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Stamp-Afxing Machines, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for afxing postage andother adhesive stamps to envelops, papers, dac.; and it pertains to thatclass of stamp-afixing devices by which an entire sheet of unseparatedpostage or other stamps is placed in the machine at the same time andsaid stamps are simultaneously separated from the sheet and affixed tothe envelop by a single stroke of a punch or plunger.

By my improvement the punch and die are automatically fed forward thewidth of a single stamp at a time as said stamps are .successivelyseparated from the sheet and affixed, whereby the construction of mydevice, as compared with such prior forms of construction, is greatlysimplied.

My invention is further explained by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in Whch- Figure 1 represents a top view. Fig. 2 is a frontview, the same being the side from which the envelops are insertedbeneath the stamp-aiixing punch. Fig. 3 is a detail showing a rear Viewof the device for intermittently actuating the stamp-afxing punch anddie as the stamps are successively removed. Fig. a is a transversesection drawn on line a; m of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an end view.

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughoutthe several views.

1 represents the base of the machine.

2 and 3 are rollers by and between which the sheet of postage-stamps4 isheld in place preparatory to being separated and affixed. The rollers 2and 3 are provided at their respective ends with journals 5 and 6, whichhave journal-bearings in the slots 7 of the standards 8, and saidrollers are held in close contact by the recoil of the spring 9, whichis interposed between the journal-bearings of the upper roller 3 and theshaft 10 or other stationary part of the machine. The rollers 2 and 3are slightly separated preparatory to inserting the sheet of stampsbetween them,

when they are permitted to come together again upon the sheet. Therespective journals of the upper roller 3 are connected with the shaft10 by radial arms 11 and connecting -links 12, whereby as said shaft 10is turned slightly in its supporting bearings motion is communicatedtherefrom to the respective ends of said roller through the arms 11 andlinks 12, whereby said upper roller is raised, as stated, for theadmission of the sheet of stamps, when said upper roller is permitted todrop back to its original position. The sprin g 9 is interposed betweenthe shaft of the upper roller 3 and the shaft 10, by the recoil of whichspring said upper roller is held firmly in contact with the lower roller3. Motion is communicated to the shaft 10 for the purpose of raisingsaid upper roller 3 through the lever 13. When the edge of the sheet ofpostage-stamps has been secured in place between the rollers, it ismoved forward until one of the stamps of the first series is broughtdirectly between the face of the punch or plunger 14 and the die 15.When this is done, the sheet of stamps and the retaining-rollers 2 and 3remain at rest until all the stamps in the first series have beendetached from the sheet and aiiixed to envelops. When one series ofstamps has been thus affixed, the sheet is again moved forward as beforeby Vturning said rollers until the next series is brought in line withthe punch and die. Motion is communicated to the rollers 2 and 3 by thehand-wheel 16, which wheel is affixed to the protruding end of the shaftof one of said rollers. The punch 14, tolgether with the operating-bar17, knob or handle 18, actuating-spring 19, pawl-actuating hook 20, andthe traveling punch guide or carriage 21, are all supported from thehorizontal'bar 22, which bar 2 is supported at its respective ends fromthe standards 8. The carriage 21 is provided with retainingclasps 23,which engage around said bar 22, upon which they are 'adapted to slidefreely as the punch and carriage are moved from one stamp in the seriesto another. The

punch guide and carriage are intermittently moved from left to right(reference being made to Fig. 2) along said bar 22 with each stroke ofthe punch. Motion is communicated to said carriage from the coil-spring24 IOO through the roller 25 and iiexible connection 26. The carriage 21is held in place against the recoil of the actuating-spring 24 while theplunger is at rest, and during its downward stroke by the pawl 27. Thepawl 27 is pivoted at its center to the side of the carriage 21 in sucha manner that its front end is held in contact with the under side ofsaid supporting bar or track 22 and is adapted to engage in the seriesof notches 29, formed in said bar. Said pawl is retained in contact withthe under side of said bar 22 by the spring 30, which spring is affixedat one end to the carriage 2l, and its opposite end bears against theunder side or" said pawl. When the punch 14 is forced down in the act ofafixing a stamp, the pawl-actuating hook 20 engages beneath the end ofthe arm 3l of said pawl, whereby with the upward movement of said punchsaid pawl 27 is turned slightly upon its supportingpivot 2S, whereby itsfront end is disengaged from one of the notches 29 of the series, whenthe carriage is thrown forward with a quick movement to the nextsucceeding notch in the series by the recoil of the actuating-spring 24,acting through the connection 26, as stated, when the upper end of saidpawl engages in said next succeeding notch. Thus in like manner thecarriage 2l, with the punch and other connecting parts, are movedforward from one notch to another with each upward movement of the punchuntil all the stamps in the series are punched out and atliXed. Thisbeing done, the carriage, with said connecting parts, is drawn back tothe starting-point at the opposite end of the bar 22, when the sheet ofstamps is again moved forward, so as to bring the next succeeding seriesof stamps in line with the punch, when the described steps are repeateduntil all the stamps in the sheet have been afiixed.

The roller 25 is supported from the base l by the bracket 32. Thepawl-actuating hook 2O is preferably elastic, so as to yield slightly asit passes over the end of the arm 31 of the pawl. For convenience ofconstruction the hook 2O is suspended from the actuating-knob 18; but itmay be connected with any other part of the device which is moved withthe punch. The spiral spring 19 is interposed between the top of thecarriage 21 and the knob 18 and serves to raise the punch when releasedfrom the hand of the operator.

33 is a die-plate or plate in which the die 14 operates as it severs onestamp from the other in the sheet. The die-plate 33 is held beneath thepunch and carried forward and backward with the punch-carriage bycontact of the punch 14 with the rectangular frame 34, which frame 34 isconnected to said dieplate at its front side only by the bracket 35.Thus the die-plate 33 rests of its own gravity upon the bed-plate 1 andis free to move upward and downward beneath the punch, to which it isloosely tted, as envelops or other papers are inserted beneath thedie-plate preparatory to afxing the stamps thereto, while owing to thefact that said rectangular frame 34 is connected at its front side onlywith the die-plate the front edge of the sheet of stamps is readilyinserted through the space, as indicated in Fig. 6, beneath said frameand between said punch and die, so as to'be detached by the strokes ofsaid punch. It will now be understood that when an envelop is insertedbeneath said die-plate and a sheet of stamps is inserted above saiddie-plate and between it and said punch and a downward stroke is givento said punch a stamp will be severed from said sheet and forced throughthe aperture in the die-plate and in direct contact with said envelop.The envelop is moistened preparatory to aflixing a stamp by contact witha wet pad 36, which may be formed of sponge, felt, or other similarmaterial which is adapted to hold Water by capillary attraction. The pad36 is located in the path of the envelop as it is inserted beneath thedie, whereby the envelop is moistened suflcient to cause the stamp toadhere thereto. The pad 36 is supplied with water from the reservoir 37,which reservoir is provided with an outletduct 38, communicating withsaid pad. The escape of water from the reservoir to said pad isregulated by a screw-threaded plug 39 and an actuating-rod 40. Thereservoir 37 and connecting parts are supported and held in place bysaid die-plate 33, with which they are adapted to move backward andforward as the several stamps of a series are detached and affixed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a stamp-aflixing machine of the class described, the combinationof a supportingbase; twocontiguousstamp-holdingbearings supported fromsaid base; a carriage-supporting bar or track; means for supporting saidbar or track from said base; a carriage slidably supported from said baror track; a punch supported from said carriage; a movable die-platesupported by said base beneath said punch; a rectangular guide-frameattached at one side to said die-plate, and having loosely-fittingbearings around said punch, by which the lateral movement of said punchis communicated to said die-plate; means for automatically moving saidcarriage, punch, die-plate and connecting parts in one direction uponsaid supporting bar or track across said base; a retaining-pawl forholding said carriage and connecting parts at intervals upon saidsupporting-bar, while said punch is moving downward and at rest; meansfor holding said pawl in engagement with said carriage-supporting bar;and means for disengaging said pawl from said bar with each upwardmovement of said punch.

2. In a stamp-affixing machine of the class described, the combinationof a supportingbase; two contiguous stamp-holding rollers supported insuitable journal-bearings from IIO IZO'

said base; means for separating said rollers for the purpose ofinserting a sheet of stamps; means for holding said rollers togetherwhen said sheet is inserted; a carriage-supporting bar or track; meansfor supporting said bar or track from said base; a carriage slidablysupported from said bar or track; a punch supported from said carriage;a movable dieplate supported by said base, beneath said punch; arectangular guide-frame attached at one side to said die -plate, andhaving loosely-fitting bearings around said punch, by which the lateralmovement of said punch is communicated to said die-plate; means forautomatically moving said carriage-punch, die-plate and connecting partsin one direction upon said supporting bar or track across said base; aretaining-pawl for holding said carriage and connecting parts atintervals upon said supporting-bar, while said punch is moving downwardand at rest; means for holding said pawl in engagement with saidcarriage-supporting bar; and means for disengaging said pawl from saidbar with each upward movement of said punch.

3. In a stamp-attixing machine of the class described, the combinationof a supportingbase; two contiguous stamp-holding rollers supported fromsaid base; a carriage-supporting bar or track; means for supporting saidbar or track from said base; a carriage slidably supported from said baror track; a punch supported from said carriage; a movable die-platesupported by said base,beneath said punch; a rectangular guide-frameattached at one side to said die-plate, and havingloosely-Iittingbearings around said punch, by which the lateral movement of said punchis communicated to said die-plate; a stampmoistening pad and awater-reservoir supported from said die-plate in close proximity to saiddie; a duct or passage communicating from said reservoir to saidmoistening-pad; means for automatically moving said carriagepunch,die-plate and connecting partsin one direction upon said supporting baror track across said base; a retaining-pawl for holding said carriageand connecting parts at intervals upon said supporting-bar, while saidpunch is moving downward and at rest; means for holding said pawl inengagement with said carriage-supporting bar; and means for disengagingsaid pawl from said bar with each upward movement of said punch.

4. In a stamp-afxing machine of the class described, the combination ofa supportingbase 1; stamp-retaining rollers 2 and 3, supported at theirrespective ends in the standards 8; roller-actuating knob 16; acarriagesupporting bar or track 22, supported from said standards, andprovided on its under edge with a series of notches 29; carriage 21supported from said track; punch 14; punchactuating bar 17; hand-bearingor knob 1S, affixed to the upper end of said bar 17; spiral spring 19interposed between said carriage and said hand-bearing or knob, andadapted to raise the punch when released from the hand of the operator;carriage-retaining pawl 27 supported from the side of said carriage,upon the pivot 28, and adapted to bear at its front end in the notchesof said bar; pawlactuating hook 2O aflixed at its upper end to saidhand-bearing 18, and adapted, with its upper movement, to engage andrelease said pawl from the notches in said bar; guideplate 33;rectangular frame 34 supported at one side from said plate 33 by thebracket 35; spring-actuated roller 25; flexible connection 26,communicating between said carriage and said spring-actuated roller;moistening-pad 36; reservoir 37, said reservoir being provided with aduct 38 communicating with said pad, all substantially as and for thepurpose specified.

In testimony whereof I aftix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

JOHN T. WELKE.

W itnesses:

J As. B. ERwIN, C. L. RoEscI-I.

